Thu Sep 14 10:12:44 EAT 2017

Police assault journalists at DP press conference

NBS TV Journalist Mr Sunday Ssebaggala being consoled by his colleagues after he was assaulted by aviation police on Wednesday while covering the DP press conference. PHOTO BY PAUL ADUDE

By Paul Adude

In Summary

When the journalists went to Entebbe Main Police station to report the incident, the police officers at the station refused to record their statements saying the offence was committed out of their area of jurisdiction and referred them back to AVPOL police station in Kigungu.

The journalists had gone to cover a Democratic Party press conference called by the Entebbe DP spokesperson Mr Godfrey Maggwa Ssali to address the manner in which security authorities arrest illegal fishermen and address the planned move by the NRM caucus to table a bill on the removal of the presidential age limit.

Police who arrived at the end of the conference as journalists were interviewing people to get their opinions on what had been addressed by the DP party leaders immediately started assaulting the journalists and ordered them to stop recording.In the process, police officers grabbed NBS TV journalist, Mr Sunday Ssebaggala’s camera as he was recording.

When the journalists went to Entebbe Main Police station to report the incident, the police officers at the station refused to record their statements saying the offence was committed out of their area of jurisdiction and referred them back to AVPOL police station in Kigungu.